Aftermath
by MarigoldStevens
Summary: Directly after the end of Deathly Hollows, last chapter. one-shot RW/HG  DM/AG


Makes a reference to my previous one-shot, "Ferret Love". You should read that one too, and review (:

Disclaimer: Whoever is telling you that I am J.K. Rowling is a liar.

It was over. Ron was filled with happiness and a tremendous relief at the thought. No more chasing Horcruxes, running from Death Eaters, hiding from He-Who-Must-Not-no. No, he was dead, so Ron might as well start calling him what he was: Voldemort.

"What did you say?" Ron realized he must have said the last part out loud as Hermonie peered up at him. Even with her hair frizzing out, dirt smeared on her face, and eyebrows slightly burnt (from the Room of Requirement), she was beautiful in a way Ron had never noticed before. Still a bloody Know-It-All, but beautiful.

"Nothing," he said, smiling. As they came down the staircase (Harry had gone back to the Gryffindor common room, mumbling something about a sandwich and Ginny, which Ron pointedly ignored), they passed a classroom. The door was closed, but Ron knew what lay behind it: bodies, bodies of those lost in the war. Lupin, who had to have been Ron's favorite werewolf, Tonks, with her ever-changing hair and eccentric personality, little Colin Creevey, with his camera and knack for stalking Harry, and Fred. It had always been Fred&George, the pranksters. The ones who made the Forbidden Forest their own personal playground, who made Filch's life miserable, who hated Umbridge with a passion and made sure she knew it. What would happen to George? What did you do when you lost your other half? What would happen to his mother, losing one of her beloved sons? What about Ginny or Charlie or Bill or even Percy? What would happen to_ him_?

"Ron, it's okay. Ron, shh, it's okay," Ron hadn't realized he was shaking until Hermonie took his hand in hers and lead him to the wall, whispering little comforting things, stroking his arm. He looked down at her, and finally saw the exhaustion in her eyes. They were 17. They were 17, why were they going through all this?

"Are we gonna have to repeat this last year of school?" he blurted out, not even thinking clearly. Hermonie looked taken aback at first, then burst out laughing. Despite himself, he grinned, which lead to them both in hysterics. What was wrong with him? He had just lost his brother, why was he laughing? But this only made him laugh harder, not noticing the figure that ran up beside them until it spoke.

"Weasley! Granger!" they both turned around to see Malfoy, eyes glinting with what could only be described as insanity. Besides the smell of smoke (again, thanks to the Room of Requirement), a puffy lip (Ron admired his handiwork), and his shirt stale with sweat, Malfoy was untouched. Ron tried to glare at him, but the pure insanity threw him off and quite literally disturbed him. What was Malfoy going to do? Try and take Ron and Hermonie? Or try and do himself in? Ron hoped for the later.

"What Draco?" Hermonie said, staring at him with a blank expression.

"Have you seen her?" the pleading, desperate tone in Malfoy's voice threw Ron off, and Ferret-boy's statement confused him.

"Pansy's in the great hall," Ron said, implying that Malfoy should go there too and leave them alone. But Malfoy just shook his head viciously, raking his hand through his hair.

"No! Not Pansy!" he cried. "No one knows where she is, she's not in the Great Hall. We can't find her anywhere, and that means she must be, must've stuck back into the battle, must've fought and, and..." Ron jumped back as Malfoy let out a sob, utterly bewildered. He was just about to open his mouth and demand who Malfoy was bloody talking about when Hermonie gasped, letting out a small "Oh,".

"I haven't seen her. I'm sure she's fine, we'll help you look for her," Hermonie said, using the same comforting tone she had used with Ron earlier. Ron blinked, getting annoyed now. Who was the bloody girl, and why was Malfoy (Ferret-boy, who didn't care about anyone except for his own snooty family) so upset over not finding her? And how did Hermonie know who she was?

"Merlin, Draco, you're loud enough to wake the dead," all three turned to face a tiny dark haired girl who Ron recognized as Astoria Greengrass as she walked towards them, wincing with each step. She was pale, and tinier than before (if possible), a large purple bruise on the side of her face, and dried blood that looked like a mixture of hers and someone else's on her white button-up. She stopped walking and looked up at them, raising her eyebrows as if to say _Well_?

In a flurry of motion, Malfoy had crossed over to where she was, cupped her chin in his hands, and kissed her. He traced the outline of the bruise on her cheek, murmuring "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over again as she buried her face in his chest.

"What else did we miss this past year? Did everyone learn mermish and get pet unicorns too?" Ron said sarcastically as the Death Eater and the petite Slytherin continued with their love fest. Hermonie giggled, looking at the pair adoringly. Ron felt like vomiting.

"What did you think you were doing, sneaking back into the battle? You could've gotten hurt! You could've died! What would I do if-"

"Oh, shut it. You know good and well I was not going to wait around, trying to hear what was going on. And, besides, I was very angry at the time," Greengrass said, cutting Malfoy off and raising her head proudly, giving him an icy look.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean what I said! I was just talking, I wasn't thinking, I wanted to take it back as soon as it came out, I did, but you didn't give me a chance, you ran off, and I couldn't chase after you, I had to-"Greengrass cut off the flustered Malfoy as he rambled on, pressing her lips against his in a very public display of affection.

"You two can go now," Ron blinked, stunned as the little 5th year smiled pleasantly up at him and Hermonie, her chin resting on Malfoy's shoulder. Malfoy gave them a glare that clearly said that their leaving wasn't a suggestion, it was a command.

"There's the Ferret-boy we all love to hate," Ron mused to himself as Hermonie took him by the arm and dragged him after her. "Seamus owes me five Galleons," he muttered as an afterthought, watching as the pair strode towards the potions classroom.

Review, please(:


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